Radiant ceiling heater



July 28, 1959 R. D. SCHIFF RADIANT CEILING HEATER Filed Aug. 12, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Boa 5w; 0, 5670/7 INVENTOR.

BY Mum, -wrwefl Array/1406? July 28, 1959 R. D. SCHIFF 2,897,337

RADIANT CEILING HEATER Filed Aug. 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R035??? 17,SCH/Ff;

INVENTOR.

N g miwl Arrow/[K52 RADIANT CEILING HEATER Robert D. Schiff, LosAngeles, Calif.

Application August 12, 1957, Serial No. 677,707

8 Claims. (Cl. 219-34) This invention relates to the art of spaceheating, and more particularly to the structure of a ceiling electricheater embodying a heating coil wound about a core, mounted in a fixtureof modified parabolic form, with heat dispersion means above and belowthe core, by which radiant heat is evenly dispersed downwardly from anoverhead heating fixture without concentration of heat above or belowthe core or the heater itself.

Fixed electric space heaters used frequently in bathrooms and otherrelatively small room areas are generally mounted in side walls in anarea close to the floor, in order to obtain maximum dispersion of heatupwards by means of normal thermal processes, without the necessity ofusing a fan or blower. In such units it is impossible to avoidconcentration of excessive heat close to the heating elements.Furthermore, such space heaters are dangerous, particularly to smallchildren, because the heating elements are exposed to a considerableextent and readily accessible, being mounted close to the floor.

Such overhead electric heaters as are in use are frequently of a typeequipped with fans or blowers used to disperse the heat generated by theheater and to prevent concentration of the heat in spots at the upperparts of the heaters or above them at a spot or spots along the ceiling.In order to accommodate the fans or blowers, such heaters are ofconsiderable size and weight, and sometimes prohibitively bulky, and inany event such fan or blower equipped heaters require special and oftencostly installation. Furthermore, the operation of the fans or blowersinvolves additional power consumption and additional cost of maintenanceand repair.

Other overhead electric heaters in general use are equipped with heatgenerating lamps, known generally as red ray lamps, which have a shorteffective life and burn out relatively frequently, causing aninconvenient as well as costly replacement problem. Furthermore, suchheaters do not give adequate heat dispersion, but cause heatconcentration in the area to which the face of the lamp is directed.

A primary objective of my invention is to provide a relativelyinexpensive overhead type electric heater without a fan or blower whichwill adequately disperse heat downwardly and evenly, with noconcentration of heat at any given spot or spots in the area to beheated, and without a noticeable upward flow of heat or anyconcentration thereof in a spot or spots above the heating element or onthe heater itself.

A further objective of my invention is to provide an overhead electricheater of the character described which will have the added safetyfactor of being removed from easy contact by small children, which maybe easily and economically mounted as a normal ceiling electric lightfixture is mounted, that is at a standard ceiling electric outlet box,and which is economical to operate and maintain.

These and other objectives and advantages of my invention will becomemore apparent from a consideraice tion of the description of myinvention which follows, taken in conjunction with the drawings thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of the heater in installed position on theceiling of a room to be heated.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the heater.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View of the heater taken on the line 3-3of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the heater core after removal of the lowerheat dispersing member of the assembly.

Figure 5 is a top View of said core taken on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the lower heat dispersingunit of the assembly.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the heater core with the lowerheat dispersing element in position and taken on a line 77 of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the heater core element of the assembly.

The primary elements of the heater are a heating core 1 of ceramic orother heat resistant material, having an extended upper edge or lip 2,said core being mounted on a tubular member 3 by means of a hie-key 4above which is mounted a heat dispersing element and reflector 5 of asharply modified parabolic shape in open umbrella position, and belowwhich is mounted another heat dispersing element 6 of modified parabolicshape, perforated, and of smaller circumference and overall size thanthe dispersing and reflecting unit 5 and in reverse position thereto.

Above the heat dispersing element or reflector 5 is mounted another heatdeflecting and dispersing unit 7 having outwardly curving sides. Thetubular member 3 contains electric current wires 8 which are attached attheir upper ends to a standard ceiling electric outlet box 9 byrecognized means. The tubular member 3 also has mounted on it a faceplate 10 which covers the outlet box 9 when the heater is affixed to theceiling.

By way of illustration and not of limitation, I have found it to beexpedient to construct the heat dispersing and reflecting units 5 and '7of aluminum, which has high reflective qualities, is light in Weight andis easy to shape and form, and also to construct the lower perforatedheat dispersing unit 6 of aluminum because of lightness and ease ofshaping and forming, whereas I generally prefer steel for the tubularmember 3 and the face plate 10 because steel is less heat conductivethan aluminum, and I desire to limit the amount of heat in the Vicinityof the ceiling electric outlet box 9.

Around the core 1 is wound a regular standard electric resistance coil11, the ends of which are fastened at 12 and 13 by recognized means, asshown in Figure 5. The core I has protuberances 14 on its lower side onwhich are mounted the terminals 15 to receive the electric current wires8, and which terminals are electrically connected by appropriatestandard screws extending from 12 and 13 through openings in core 1. Theprotuberances 14 have jutting out from them small nipples 16 which, likethe protuberances, are an integral part of the ceramic core 1, but whichare positioned so as to prevent circular movement of the hickey 4 whenthe unit is fully mounted in position and thus insure a continuouslytight mounting.

The lip 2 extends outwardly from the surface of the core 1 on which theheating coil 11 is mounted, and is directly above the heating coil 11,with its perimeter extending outwardly beyond it.

The lower heat dispersing unit 6 is perforated with a plurality of holes18 of relatively small size. Again by way of illustration and not oflimitation I have found that said lower heat dispersing unit 6 performsits heat dispersing function more efficiently if the total area of theholes 18 is approximately 51% of the entire face area of the dispersingunit 6. This lower heat dispersing unit 6 is attached to the hickey 4 bya thumb screw 19 or other suitable means, and a washer or buffer 20 isrecommended for use between the thumb screw 19 and the surface of thelower heat dispersing unit 6 for ease in mounting and protection of'theunit 6 from bending or warping.

When the heater is mounted in position on the ceiling, directly belowthe normal electric ceiling outlet 9, an electric current is fed intothe heater and the electric resistance coil 11 becomes heated rapidly.Such of the radiant heat thereby generated as flows in a generallylateral direction is deflected downwardly, outwardly, and in an evenlyspreading distribution by the modified parabolic shape of the heatdispersing unit or reflector 5. Such of said radiant heat as flows in anupward direction from the coil 11 will be intercepted and deflected bythe restrictive position of the lip 2 of the core 1, and Will strike thedispersing or reflecting member 5 in the area Where the parabolic shapetakes its sharpest downward turn, thereby being similarly dispersed in agenerally downwardly, outwardly and evenly spreading direction.

Again by way of illustration and not of limitation, I have found that ifthe heat dispersing and reflecting unit 5 is constructed in a truerparabolic shape, much of the radiant heat which has been deflected bythe lip 2 may be deflected upwardly, following the parabolic form of thereflector unit in that direction, whereas, if the parabolic shape isflattened out from a point on an extended line with the under side ofthe lip 2, the radiant heat deflected by the lip 2, following that line,is more effectively directed downwardly and outwardly, with =very littleof the heat following the face of the flattened part of the surface ofthe unit 5 or penetrating through it.

The radiant heat which is following in a generally downward directionfrom the electric resistance coil 11 will be evenly dispersed downwardlyand outwardly by the perforated lower heat dispersing unit 6 through itsplurality of holes 18.

Much of the convected heat flowing from the electric resistance coil 11,similarly will be deflected outwardly and, to a limited extent,downwardly upon striking the lower face of the dispersing and reflectingunit. 5.

Some of the heat that may find its way through the said dispersing andreflecting unit 5, or may flow by convection around the lip of thedispersing unit 5 and then along the upper surface of said dispersingunit, will be intercepted and again deflected outwardly by the upperheat dispersing unit 7.

Any heat that may escape downward deflection and may find its wayinwardly to the tubular member 3 will be of negligible amount, and willbe of even lesser amount when by conduction it reaches the face plate10, where its conduction is further dissipated through the plate.

If the heating coil 11 should burn out, it is simple to replace it byremoving the thumb screw 19 and the washer 2% which will release thelower heat dispersing unit 6, and the hickey 4 can then be removed fromthe tubular member 3. After the electrical connections are broken at theterminal points 15 the entire core 1 can be readily removed for easyreplacement of the heating coil 11 and reinsertion of the core and newcoil into the heater.

Although I have shown my invention and described it herein in what isconsidered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment thereof, itwill be recognized that departures may be made therefrom within thescope of my invention, which is therefore not to be limited to thedetails disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of theclaims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices, structures andmethods.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. An overhead electric space heater comprising the combination of: acoil supporting member having a body and a marginally outwardlyextending lip at the upper end of the body; an electrical resistanceheating coil supported on the external surface portion of said coilsupporting member below said lip; suspension means adapted to suspendsaid member from a room ceiling; a first reflecting element of generallyopen umbrella shape mounted on said suspension means and superimposedover the coil supporting member; a second reflecting element ofgenerally cup shape with outwardly curving sides also mounted on saidsuspension means and superimposed in turn over the first reflectingelement; and a perforated bowl shaped member connected to saidsuspension means and disposed below said coil supporting member.

2. An overhead electric space heater comprising the combination of: acoil supporting member having a body and a marginally outwardlyextending lip at the upper end of the body; an electrical resistanceheating coil supported on the external surface portion of said coilsupporting member below said lip; suspension means adapted to suspendsaid member from a room ceiling; a first reflecting element of generallyopen umbrella shape mounted on said suspension means and superimposedover the coil supporting member; a second reflecting element ofgenerally cup shape with outwardly curving sides also mounted on saidsuspension means and superimposed in turn over the first reflectingelement; and a perforated bowl shaped member connected to saidsuspension means and disposed below said coil supporting member, saidbowl being of lesser cross-section th the first reflecting element.

3. An overhead electric space heater comprising the combination of: anannular coil supporting member having a body and an annular marginallyoutwardly extending flange at the upper end of the body; an electricalresistance heating coil supported on the external surface portion ofsaid member below said flange; suspension means adapted to suspend saidcoil supporting member from a room ceiling; a first annular reflectingelement of generally open umbrella shape mounted on said suspensionmeans and superimposed over the coil supporting member, a second annularreflecting element of generally cup shape with outwardly curving sidesalso mounted on said suspension means and superimposed in turn over thefirst reflecting element; and a perforated annular bow shaped memberconnected to said suspension means and disposed below said coilsupporting member.

4. An overhead electric space heater comprising the combination of: acoil supporting member having a dielectric body and a marginallyoutwardly extending lip at the upper end of the body; an open, exposedelectrical resistance heating coil supported on the external surfaceportion of said coil supporting member below said lip; suspension meansadapted to suspend said member from a room ceiling; a first reflectingelement of generally open umbrella shape mounted on said suspensionmeans and superimposed over the coil supporting member; a secondreflecting element of generally cup shape with outwardly curving sidesalso mounted on said suspension means and superimposed in turn over thefirst reflecting element; and a perforated bowl shaped member connectedto said suspension means and disposed below said coil supporting member.

5. An overhead electric space heater comprising the combination of: acoil supporting member having a body of electrical insulating materialand a marginally 0utwardly extending lip at the upper end of the body;an open, exposed electrical resistance heating coil supported on theexternal surface portion of said coil supporting member below said lip;suspension means adapted to suspend said member from a room ceiling; afirst reflecting element of generally open umbrella shape mounted onsaid suspension means and superimposed over the coil supporting member;a second reflecting element of generally cup shape with outwardlycurving sides also mounted on said suspension means and superimposed inturn over the first reflecting element; and a perforated bowl shapedmember connected to said suspension means and disposed below said coilsupporting member.

6. An overhead electric space heater comprising the combination of: acoil supporting member having a body and a marginally outwardlyextending lip at the upper end of the body; an electrical resistanceheating coil supported on the external surface portion of said memberbelow said lip; suspension means adapted to suspend said member from aroom ceiling and comprising a hollow metal tube carrying electriccurrent wires from a ceiling outlet to the electrical resistance heatingcoil, and connected to the coil supporting member by a hickey; a firstreflecting element of generally open umbrella shape mounted on saidsuspension means and superimposed over the member; a second reflectingelement of generally cup shape having outwardly curving sides alsomounted on said suspension means and superimposed in turn over the firstreflecting element; and a perforated bowl shaped member connected tosaid suspension means and disposed below said coil supporting member.

7. An overhead electric space heater comprising the combination of: acoil supporting member having a body; molded studs on the undersurfaceof the body spaced radially and adapted to abut against a mountinghickey; a marginally outwardly extending lip at the upper end of thebody; an electrical resistance heating coil supported on the externalsurface portion of said coil-supporting member below said lip;suspension means adapted to suspend said coil supporting member from aroom ceiling, and comprising a hollow metal tube carrying electriccurrent wires from a ceiling outlet to the electrical resistance heatingcoil and connected to the coil supporting member by the hickey; a firstreflection element of generally open umbrella shape mounted on saidsuspension means and superimposed over the coil-supporting member; asecond reflecting element of generally cup shape with outwardly curvingsides also mounted on said suspension means and superimposed in turnover the first reflecting element; and a perforated bowl shaped memberconnected to said suspension means and disposed below said coilsupporting member.

8. An overhead electric space heater comprising the combination of: acoil supporting member having a body and a marginally outwardlyextending lip at the upper end of the body; an electrical resistanceheating coil supported on the external surface portion of saidcoil-supporting member below said lip, suspension means adapted tosuspend said member from a room ceiling, and comprising a hollow metaltube carrying electric current wires from a ceiling outlet to theelectrical resistance heating coil, and connected to the coil supportingmember by a hickey; a first reflecting element of generally openumbrella shape superimposed over the coil supporting member, and rigidlymounted on the ceiling suspension element in fixed relation to the coilsupporting member by suitable spacing and support means; a secondreflecting element of generally cup shape with outwardly curving sidesalso mounted on said ceiling suspension element and superimposed in turnover the first reflecting element; and a perforated bowl shaped memberconnected to said ceiling suspension element and disposed below saidcoil supporting member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,416,965 Moreton May 23, 1922 1,484,454 Shoenberg Feb. 19, 19241,630,649 Ziola May 31, 1927 2,467,479 Huck Apr. 19, 1949 2,512,061 HuckJune 20, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,006 Australia June 13, 1928 305,500Great Britain Feb. 1, 1929 314,567 Great Britain July 1, 1929

